


spilt coffee and bumped heads

by yeahboiislay



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Allison and Renee are in love, Multi, aaron is a dad to three, for the aftg exchange fall 2020, his twin daughters love andrew and seth, just read it please, seth and andrew are feral roomates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:22:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26438647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeahboiislay/pseuds/yeahboiislay
Summary: Kevin and Neil have a coffee shop.Andrew and Seth have a bookshop.This is a meet-cute like no other.____________________________________________________________________________________A light tapping came from the downstairs, Andrew picked Elliot up and followed the girls downstairs. Aaron and Katelyn stood outside staring at Andrew’s part-time roommate, business partner and friend Seth Gordon. Seth stood outside the locked door, reenacting a skit from the Eric Andre show. He grabbed at the shutters, screaming “let me in”, his head shaking vigorously. Ellie and Emma waved to their parents, while Andrew unlocked the door with one hand. Seth pulled the shutter and Katelyn ran to her children engulfing them in a hug. Aaron took Elliot from Andrew and whispered in his ear, “is Seth okay?”
Relationships: Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker (All For The Game), Katelyn/Aaron Minyard, Kevin Day/Seth Gordon, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46
Collections: AFTG Exchange Fall 2020





	spilt coffee and bumped heads

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JostenlovesMinyard](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JostenlovesMinyard/gifts).



Neil glided from the counter to the sandwich maker. Kevin stood in front of the coffee machine, pressing the glowing interface until it began to whizz. A young family were the only customers inside the cafe. The mother and daughters were engaged in a lively discussion, one of Kevin's healthy cookies in their hands. Most probably on the foxes decorating the cafe walls. The father tried to spoon-feed his child. But it was no use; the baby was more interested in waving at Kevin. Neil caught the eyes of the disgruntled father and waved back to the smiling baby, causing him to laugh with glee. Both the mother and her daughters fell silent, looking at the baby with joy. Neil turned back to make his and Kevin's lunch when he heard a voice ask, "Mommy. Why does that man look funny?" Neil subconsciously moved his hand up to touch the burns on his face.

When he first moved to Palmetto, a small voice used to whisper to him before he slept. It used to tell Neil that he should run. That Palmetto was too picturesque for someone as scarred as him. But the locals welcomed him with open arms. He finally felt as if he was home. There would be some who looked at his face with pity, but Neil felt most helpless when young children asked questions. You can deceive adults, but children can see through lies.

Kevin placed the two mugs of coffee on a tray and looked at Neil as if he were asking ‘are you alright?’ Neil pointed at the counter, “I made your lunch Kevin, go eat. I’ll go give the coffee.” Kevin hesitated, “You better have made a good sandwich this time.” Neil began to walk to the table, “That was one time and your fault for having mouldy bread!” he shouted over his shoulder. He set a coffee in front of the father, making sure that the mug was out of the baby’s reach. Then he placed one in front of the mother and crouched down in front of the girl who spoke. The mother gave an apologetic smile, Neil cleared his throat and spoke in a soft tone, “Hello. My name’s Neil. What’s your name?” The girl looked at her mother and then gave Neil a toothy smile, her two front teeth missing, “My name’s Ellie, and I’m seven years old.” She pointed to the other girl, “That’s my twin sister Emma. What happened to your face?” Neil let out a chuckle while Ellie’s mother began to apologise profusely. He shook his head, “Well Ellie, a long time ago some men chased me. I don’t know what they wanted, but because I didn’t have it. They decided to-” Neil waved his hand over his face, “do this to me.” 

Everyone was silent; even the baby had ceased his babbling.

Ellie reached out and ran her fingertips over Neil’s cheek, “I think you look nice with the scars. You look like a pirate.” Kevin covered his left eye with his hand and shouted “Aaargh” from his perch behind the cake stand. Ellie giggled and turned back to her mother and sister. Neil stood up and walked to where Kevin sat, eyeing Neil’s cheese and onion sandwich. “I don’t know how you eat that,” Kevin said, his nose turned up. “It stinks” He picked the sandwich up and took a bite, “ You say that like your Tuna and sweetcorn sandwich has no scent.” Kevin stuffed the last of his sandwich into his mouth and chewed, “We got to go to Jeremy’s and get the new batch of cakes.” he said once his mouth was empty. Neil hummed in agreement. 

Kevin’s baking wasn’t the worst, but Jeremy had a way with cakes. He and his friends, Laila, had started their bakery after University. They were happier in Palmetto with their little cake shop. The pressure of a perfect life in California was not what the group was looking for.

Neil finished his sandwich and washed his hands. Emma ran up to the counter and stood on her tip-toes, trying to slide a dollar note inside the tip jar. Kevin lowered the jar so she could put it in. The family had packed up and ready to go. Their father walked towards the door, nodded at Kevin in thanks and pushed the pram out of the gate. His wife and daughters followed him. The sun had set, and the family disappeared around the corner of the road.

"Hey Neil, you ready to go?" Kevin stood next to him, dressed in his grey peacoat. Wordlessly, he put on his coat and followed Kevin out the door and to his car.  
______________________________________________________________________

Andrew watched his nieces chase his cat. Sir Fat Cat McCatterson sprinted away from her, searching for a safe spot to rest. King Fluffikins purred furiously on top of a bookshelf. His nephew gurgled away in his highchair. Andrew remembered the looks he got when he first put the chair inside the bookshop. Many assumed that it was for his child, and not his brother’s. He didn’t look like it, but Andrew cared for all his family.

“Ellie! Emma!” Katelyn called out, “Stop chasing King!” Ellie turned to look at her mother and tripped over. Andrew dove down and caught her in his arms, collapsing on top of a display of books. Andrew groaned, a pen stabbing his back. Ellie rolled off of Andrew and sat next to him, pulling lint off her tights. “Uncle Andrew!” Ellie exclaimed, “We went to eat at a cafe and had these healthy cookies, and this man had scars on his face, and he looked like a pirate.” Aaron held his hand out to help his brother sit up, which Andrew accepted. “Thank you so much for babysitting Andrew. I don’t know what we would do without you,” Aaron said with gratitude. “ You wouldn’t be going to a stag-do and Katelyn wouldn’t be going to the bride’s hen.” Andrew shot back. Emma sat down next to her sister and Uncle, a feather in her hand. Katelyn picked up her now-sleeping son and nodded towards her daughters, “girls please don’t give your uncle too much trouble okay. We will be back tomorrow morning and we can all go to the cafe. But only if you are on your best behaviour.” Both the girls fell into line, Emma doing her best drill sergeant impression. They both marched upstairs, Ellie carrying the baby bag. Aaron watched his children go, a proud smile on his face. Katelyn passed her son to Andrew, kissing him on the head, “Goodbye Elliot. Mommy and Daddy will be back soon.” Aaron held Katelyn’s hand and waved goodbye to his brother and son. Andrew watched them walk down the street and locked the shop door.

Upstairs, Ellie and Emma had made a pillow fort in the living room and were watching Finding Dory. Andrew put Elliot inside the portable cot and sat down in the fort. The girls had fallen asleep in the middle of the movie and Andrew closed the light, falling asleep on the sofa himself.  
____________________________________________________________________________  
Andrew woke up to the sound of giggling and a cool itch on his face. Emma and Ellie stood above him, a marker in each of their hands. Instantly, he put his hands up to feel his face to feel nothing. He sighed, “You guys drew on my face didn’t you?” Emma nodded. “You used a black marker that can wash off?” Ellie nodded. With a grunt, Andrew sat up and saw the worried expressions on his nieces’ faces. “Guys it’s okay, I’ll just wash up, get Elliot ready and we’ll go to meet your parents at the cafe you went to yesterday.” the girls ran off giggling, leaving Andrew to check on a sleeping Elliot, and then go to the bathroom.

Andrew looked in the mirror while washing his face, the girls had drawn a unicorn on his left cheek, a monochrome rainbow trailed behind the unicorn and over his nose to finish on a cloud on his right cheek. He scrubbed at his face, removing most of the ink, but a faint ghost still stayed on like a bad spray tan. Andrew changed his clothes and walked out of the bathroom to see the girls out of their pyjamas and playing with Elliot who sat in his cot. 

A light tapping came from the downstairs, Andrew picked Elliot up and followed the girls downstairs. Aaron and Katelyn stood outside staring at Andrew’s part-time roommate, business partner and friend Seth Gordon. Seth stood outside the locked door, reenacting a skit from the Eric Andre show. He grabbed at the shutters, screaming “let me in”, his head shaking vigorously. Ellie and Emma waved to their parents, while Andrew unlocked the door with one hand. Seth pulled the shutter and Katelyn ran to her children engulfing them in a hug. Aaron took Elliot from Andrew and whispered in his ear, “is Seth okay?”  
Both brothers turned to look at Seth who was chatting with Katelyn, Ellie and Emma both hanging off his upper arms. Aaron rolled his eyes and went to his family. Seth had gotten the girls off his arms and strode to Andrew, “You guys are going to that new fox cafe?” he asked. Andrew knew what Seth was asking, “Yes, you coming?” Seth grabbed Andrew’s jacket off the coat hook and tossed it to him. Aaron started the car and everyone climbed in, Seth sitting in Andrew’s lap. Seth leaned back, his shoulder against Andrew’s mouth. He bit Seth, earning a pinch on the leg in return. The car ride was short, but Andrew savoured it. Palmetto was a scenic city, a new sight every time you looked.

The Foxhole Cafe was a small hole-in-the-wall, five minutes from the university campus. The cafe itself had an Orange Fox painted fox dancing on the window, the door mimicking the opening to a fox-den. Inside stood two men, one was tall and tanned, his black hair gelled into place. The other man was significantly shorter, his hair a coppery red and skin fairly pale. The taller one had a tattoo on his cheek, a small bird in flight. Scars and burns replaced the tattoo on the shorter man but did nothing to obscure his beauty in Andrew's eyes.  
Seth tapped the car window, “The tall one is hot.” he got out of the car and extended a hand to help Andrew out. “He seems like an egotistical asshole Seth,” Aaron poked Andrew’s arm and went inside the cafe, “You’re an asshole Andy,” Seth said before flashing a toothy smile and diving inside. Andrew huffed and went inside. The cafe smelt like coffee and pastries. Seth leaned against the counter, shamelessly flirting with the taller man. Emma ran up to Andrew and wrapped her small hand around his. She jumped up and down blurting something out about the nice man who looks like a pirate. He let Emma lead him towards the table, the short copper-head had a tray of coffee in one hand. Andrew couldn’t get his eyes off him, his unruly hair and soft eyes. Emma let go of Andrew’s hand, making him lose balance. He tripped on his own two feet, toppling forward. His head hitting the table and his arm hitting the coffee tray.  
______________________________________________________________________

Neil stared at the blonde who lay on the floor, he had knocked himself out when he hit the table. Knocking the tray over and spilling coffee on Neil in the process. Kevin stopped flirting and ran to Neil, trying to clean his shirt with napkins. Everyone surrounded the unconscious blonde, checking if he was okay. 

He was shorter than Neil but more muscular. He wore black armbands underneath his slightly tight shirt. Neil looked up to see Kevin staring at him with a knowing smile. Neil ran to the staff room, changing into one of Kevin’s shirts. When he came out, the blonde was conscious again and talking to Kevin. He didn’t meet Neil’s eyes, instead choosing to watch the two twin girls, Ellie and Emma, dance around the cafe. Neil waved to Kevin who had resumed flirting, Kevin waved back, shooing Neil away and towards the fire exit.  
The air was crisp outside, the wet patches on his chest even colder. Neil pulled a box of matches and cigarettes out of his trouser pocket. He lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth, letting the smoke dance against his tongue. Neil tapped his fingers against his thigh, trying to get the blonde and Kevin’s look out of his head. He put the cigarette out and stepped back into the cafe, planning to apologise to the blonde when he saw that he had already left. The guy that Kevin was flirting with was also missing, leaving just the family from yesterday to enjoy slices of cake. Kevin stood behind the counter, lost in a daydream with a scrap of paper in his left hand.  
_____________________________________________________________________  
Seth chatted about Kevin, the tall guy from the cafe, while Andrew held an ice-pack to his head. “-and then he acted all shy. God, it was cute.” Renee looked at Seth, a soft smile on her face. Seth gave her a soft smile back and sat down next to Renee, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, kissing her on the head. Renee held Seth’s hand and Allison sat down next to Andrew, “so look, you did something dumb in front of a cute guy, so what! Renee sprained her wrist and had to stay in the hospital! Look at us!”

Andrew remembered the first time he met Seth, Alison and Renee. He had been working a long shift at Eden’s twilight and was sent to investigate a noise in the alleyway behind the club. Seth had been trying to take a piss on the back wall. Drunk Seth picked a fight with Andrew, leading to both of them being taken to hospital by Allison, Seth’s ex-girlfriend and current roommate. Both of them ended up being placed in a three-bed hospital room in the hospital where Aaron worked. Renee was the occupant of the third bed, having sprained her wrist and gaining a concussion after an accident at the Youth Corps where she volunteered. Allison whooed a bed-ridden Renee, with Seth and Andrew bonding over the shared embarrassment of listening to their pillow-talk. When all three of them were discharged, Andrew and Seth had decided to share the rent of the local bookshop that had been abandoned, Seth moving in part-time with Andrew. While Allison and Renee moved in together, Renee persuaded Seth to help her in the youth corps. Now Seth would bounce from Andrew’s and Allison’s flat’s, DJ-ing at youth corp events and birthday parties for those in shelters.

Andrew opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the front doorbell ringing. Kevin stood there scanning the shop, a black peacoat around his shoulders. Seth shot up and half-walked half-jogged to him. Andrew turned to talk to Renee, only to see Allison in her lap, her long blonde hair hiding their faces. He picked up his cigarette packet and went outside, only to bump into the short redhead from the cafe.  
______________________________________________________________________  
Neil stared at the blonde in front of him. There was a bruise on his head, and he had an angry blush growing on his face. Neil could feel his own face heating up, “Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to bump into you.” He moved out of the way, watching the blonde turn into the alleyway. Neil looked inside the bookshop and decided to follow the blonde, not wanting to disturb Kevin. Peeking inside the alleyway, Neil saw him trying to light a cigarette. Neil pulled his box of matches out of his pocket and walked up to the blonde, “Uh, sorry you want a light?” Neil held the matchbox in his hands, extending it towards him. “Yeah thanks,” said the blonde, a slight southern accent creeping in. “sorry about the coffee.” he stuck the match against the box, touching the lit match to the cigarette that hung from this mouth.

Neil went blank, “what coffee?” the cogs in his head turned “Oh! That coffee, no worries Kev has done worse.” Neil extended his hand out, “I’m Neil, Neil Josten” The blonde accepted his handshake, “Andrew Minyard.” Andrew took the lit cigarette out of his mouth. “So how did you meet Kevin?” he asked, nodding his head towards the cafe. Neil tapped his cigarette against his thigh, “we are childhood friends, both moved to the States pretty young.” Neil knocked his head back, “How did you meet Seth?” Andrew extinguished the cigarette, “It’s a long story,” Neil leaned forward, “so tell me?” Andrew began to speak but was cut off by a shout.

Seth stood in the beginning of the alleyway, dancing and shouting with joy. “ANDY!” he shouted, “I got a date!” Andrew stood up, a half-grin on his face, he shouted back to Seht, “Good Going Seth,” Seth began to pull at an imaginary string, Andrew slowly moving towards him. He turned to Neil, “If you want I can tell you the full story tomorrow, coffee at the cafe?” Neil smiled at Andrew, “Yeah sure. But only if I can drink the coffee and not wear it. Tomorrow morning? Ten O’ Clock?” With a two-finger salute, Andrew went to Seth, a certain blue-eyed, red-haired and freckled man on his mind.

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you like it!


End file.
